Draft attachment for vehicles



No. 608,728. Patented Aug. 9, I898".

M. J. STROUD.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed May 28, 1897.} (N 0 M 0 d e l I (M mi/mai lllwirnn States Patent @rmcn.

MERTON J. STROUD, OF PATON, IO\VA.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

SPEGIFIGATICN forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,728, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed May 28, 1897.

To aZZ whom it may. concern.-

Be it known that I, .MERTON J. STROUD, of Paton, in the county of Greene and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Attachments for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

for vehicles; and it consists, essentially, of means for throwing the draft to one side of a vehicle by spanning or arching the adjacent wheel.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The object of the present invention is to so position a draft-animal in connection with a vehicle that he will travel on one side instead of at the center of the road to make his work easier and also facilitate close travel in a narrow roadway or in turning within a small space.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of thills shown attached to the front portion of a vehicle by the improved device. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of the improved device shown disconnected and looking toward the opposite side thereof. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the improved attachment.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates a support for the attachment, consisting of a strip or bar of suitable material and having loops 2 secured to the under side and projecting from the rear thereof for removable attachment to the running-gear of a vehicle. On the under side and rear side of the said support are guides 3, in which are adj ustably mounted elongated arms 41, having their outer ends respectively formed into a vertically-positioned arch 5 and a horizontal arch 6, extending toward the front. Secured to one side of the arch 6 is a brace or tie rod 7, which has its opposite end attached to the under side of the support 1. Extending from the lower end of the vertical Serial No. 638,606. (No model.)

arch 5 and having the lower portion thereof attached to the rear portion of the outer end of the arch G is a brace-arm 9, and also secured to the lower end'of the said arch 5 is another similar brace-arm 10, which is proj ected outwardly at an angle and held spaced apart from the adjacent portion of the arch 6 by a connecting-rod 11, to which is attached a loop 12 and eyes 13 to engage one of the thill-irons 14 0f the thills, and by this on- 'lhis invention relates to draft attachments gagementthe'draft is equalized and exerted on both arches 5 and 6, and consequently opposite portions of the support 1.' Movably secured to the front portion of the support 1 is another loop 16, having eyes 17, which is adapted to be removably attached to the opposite thill-iron of the thills, and extending from the under side of the support and connected to the'adjacent thill is a brace 0r tie rod 17. This arrangement of braces causes an equalization of the draft on the support 1, and consequently is imparted to therunning-gear, to which the said support 1 is attached, and the arches 5 and 6 are located over the wheel and on the right side, as shown, and permit position of the draft-animal to one side. By this means the draftanimal can travel on. the side of a road-bed instead of at the center, which is usually ele vated or humped, with more ease, and also in passing vehicles in a narrow road the animal can be brought closer to the limit of the road on the right side, and, further, in'turning or cramping the vehicle the operation may be very readily accomplished when the draftanimal is hitchedin the thills projecting from the attachment.

The device as an entirety may be applied to any vehicle without changing the construction of the latter-,and also vehicles of different width of draft can be accommodated by adjusting the arches through the medium set forth by a slight manipulation.

(It is obviously apparent that many minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts might be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat is claimed as new is-- 1. In a device of the character set forth, the

combination of a support adapted to be attached to the running-gear of a vehicle, arches adjustably carried by said support and arranged in different planes, and thills attached to a portion of said support and the said arches, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a draft attachment of the character set forth, the combination of a support, arches carried by said support and arranged at differcnt angles of inclination, a pair of thills attached to said support and a portion of the arches, and braces secured to the several parts, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. An attachment for vehicles comprising a straight bar having loops on its rear side,

an elongated arm slidingly connected with the bar by means of guides or bearings fixed to the bar, a vertically-positioned arch on the end of the elongated arm, a second arch fixed to the straight bar to extend horizontally forward and means for connecting one thill-iron with the lower portion of the vertically-projecting arch and a mating thill-iron to the central portion of the straight bar, arranged and combined as and for the purposes stated. In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing' Witnesses.

MERTON J. STROUD. Vitnesses:

WM. STROUD, FRANK SNoDoRAss. 

